Physically demanding jobs can cause male fertility issues: study

Bethesda, MD – Men with physically demanding jobs may experience more fertility issues, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health and Stanford University in California.

Researchers compiled data from 456 men with a mean age of nearly 32. Men who reported heavy exertion at work were twice as likely to have a low sperm count. Other work-related hazards – including heat, noise or prolonged sitting – did not appear to affect semen quality, according to an NIH press release.

Additionally, researchers found that men with high blood pressure had fewer normally shaped sperm, and medications lowered sperm counts.

“The good news is that these factors, if they are confirmed to have negative effects on male fertility, can potentially be modified by medical care or changing job-related behaviors,” lead study author and director of NIH’s Division of Intramural Population Health and Research Germaine Buck Louis said in the press release.

The study was published online March 9 in the journal Fertility and Sterility.